WINDY RIDING?

[ItsABeemur]

I've only been riding on the road for about two months after retiring my road riding in 1997. I did the motocross thing for three years from 2001-2004. After a debilitating wreck in '04 I gave it up for three years. Then the itch hit again!...so I bought a BMW.

 

So...now you have a bit of history on my riding experience...here goes;

 

Last weekend I rode to Kill Devil Hills, NC(it's on the northern outer banks of NC). The ride takes about 2.5 hours from my house. We left before dark and had a fabulous ride there. On Sunday we prepared to leave and noticed the wind. It was constant at about 20mph with gusts to 38mph.(some reports of 50mph around the sound). The route we had to take home had us driving over three bridges....two slightly high and one very low draw bridge with extremely low sides. At one point on the draw bridge, I felt like I almost needed to come to a stop in order to stay upright. The gust seemed about 35-40mph ish. I was already in a slight turn position to the right when the wind just belted us almost against the rail. This is a two lane bridge, so traffic is not only coming at me it is also passing me as I am only going about 45-50. The wind is switching directions constantly, so I feel like I can't predict anything at this point. I don't think in my years of road riding in the past I ever rode in winds like that. I felt very inexperienced and was just amazed at how difficult it seemed to ride safely. I was loaded down w/ a passenger, tank bag, & system cases all full. I'm wondering if there was just a major lack of any aerodynamics that caused me to feel so vulnerable, or if this is just the way it's going to be on my RT.

 

I managed to get to the house in 5.5 hours with two 10 minute stops for a break (smoke a cigarette to calm my nerves) and a 45 minute dinner break. So I almost doubled my time!

 

Is this crazy? Will I get used to it in the future and be able to travel near the speed limit (70)? Is there something I can do to become a better rider in strong winds....other than just riding in them when I need to?

 

I had coffee with some older (60ish) friends of mine that used to ride a lot and they’re telling me stories of riding in 60+mph winds on the highway and leaning into them like they were making a right hand turn at a 90 degree angle. Is this seine?

[jmseattle]

Had a similar experience crossing the Golden Gate when I was riding down in CA last summer. Stopped in Novato (a few minutes north of the bridge) for a water break as I had been riding all day and it was sunny, calm and in the 90s. Then temperature must have dropped 40 degrees and high gusts as I approached the Golden Gate southbound -- the bridge was covered in a thick fog bank which I had not antiicipated given the hot sunny weather I had been riding in since up around Shasta. The gusts had to be 40 mph plus on the bridge and traffic was heavy but fast in both directions at that time of day so tolerances between lanes was low. Geared down to keep revs and torque up and managed to find a Winnebago to put on my right which gave me a bit of coverage against some of the gusts although the true benefit was probably more of a placebo effect. Some of the gusts made it feel like a giant broom was sweeping the bike right out from under me, and the GT is not a light bike especially fully loaded for a two week trip. That was one of the most white knuckle few minutes riding I can remember in 30+ years of riding. Wind doesn't usually bother me as long as I have some margin of error -- space around me -- to compensate when I get blown off track a bit. But in heavy fast moving traffic with little space to compensate, no escape routes and unpredictable gusts that would slam you w/o warning, die down for a second and then slam you again from a different angle, it generated a lot of adrenaline. Would not want to repeat that kind of crossing. Came across the GG again northbound a week later and it was picture perfect conditions.

[John in NC]

Been there done that. A couple years ago we went to the outer banks bike week. What a joke. Anyway, that weekend we had gale force winds and on the ferry from Ocracoke to Hatteras we had to stand next to the bikes to keep them upright. We passed over the same bridges you mentioned plus the Bonner bridge over Oregon inlet. That one was hairy. Best way to ride in these conditions is to gear down and keep the rpm's up.

[Matts_12GS]

Huzband and I got caught in a tropical storm on the slab in a heavy rain on top of all that shifting gusting wind. The only way way I managed to keep the wee strom upright was to stay light on the handlebars and be alert to the conditions. It never too more than a little lean or countersteer to maintain course, but not overreacting to the gust was the key to making it IMO.

[Channa]

I was caught in the south of france crossing the Mouth of the Rhone and more recently I have ridden the Beemer in strong winds we have experienced in the UK.

 

The only advice I would give is grip the tank with the knees and remain as loose on the bars as you can.

 

Tensing up an gripping the bars for dear life seems to have a more negative effect than positive.

 

relacx on the bars use your hips to steer and counterbalance wind ...makes for a far more easier and less stressful ride

 

Channa

[T__]

I've only been riding on the road for about two months after retiring my road riding in 1997. I did the motocross thing for three years from 2001-2004. After a debilitating wreck in '04 I gave it up for three years. Then the itch hit again!...so I bought a BMW.

 

So...now you have a bit of history on my riding experience...here goes;

 

Last weekend I rode to Kill Devil Hills, NC(it's on the northern outer banks of NC). The ride takes about 2.5 hours from my house. We left before dark and had a fabulous ride there. On Sunday we prepared to leave and noticed the wind. It was constant at about 20mph with gusts to 38mph.(some reports of 50mph around the sound). The route we had to take home had us driving over three bridges....two slightly high and one very low draw bridge with extremely low sides. At one point on the draw bridge, I felt like I almost needed to come to a stop in order to stay upright. The gust seemed about 35-40mph ish. I was already in a slight turn position to the right when the wind just belted us almost against the rail. This is a two lane bridge, so traffic is not only coming at me it is also passing me as I am only going about 45-50. The wind is switching directions constantly, so I feel like I can't predict anything at this point. I don't think in my years of road riding in the past I ever rode in winds like that. I felt very inexperienced and was just amazed at how difficult it seemed to ride safely. I was loaded down w/ a passenger, tank bag, & system cases all full. I'm wondering if there was just a major lack of any aerodynamics that caused me to feel so vulnerable, or if this is just the way it's going to be on my RT.

 

I managed to get to the house in 5.5 hours with two 10 minute stops for a break (smoke a cigarette to calm my nerves) and a 45 minute dinner break. So I almost doubled my time!

 

Is this crazy? Will I get used to it in the future and be able to travel near the speed limit (70)? Is there something I can do to become a better rider in strong winds....other than just riding in them when I need to?

 

I had coffee with some older (60ish) friends of mine that used to ride a lot and they’re telling me stories of riding in 60+mph winds on the highway and leaning into them like they were making a right hand turn at a 90 degree angle. Is this seine?

 

 

Mike, I think a lot of your current problem is in your mind set.. A good gust of wind will move even a heavy bike around a little.. The bike will usually quickly restore itself & go on with business..

 

What usually happens is you instinctively tighten up on the handle bars & that upsets the bike’s own restoring action.. Lighten up on the bars & let the bike work under you,, it isn’t going anywhere very far..

 

Start out slowly with lots of room around you & keep riding in the wind every chance your get.. You will soon find it is no worse than riding into a curve or around a corner..

 

Personally I go looking for as much wind as I can get & usually stay out riding all day on a windy day.. I just love riding in the wind & the heavier the gusts the more I like it.. I don’t know why but I guess I feel like it allows me to ride with more of my input to the control.. Biggest problem I have in the wind is on back roads & falling limbs from large old trees (had a few really close calls in that area) ..

 

Twisty

[allikanbe]

I've only been riding on the road for about two months after retiring my road riding in 1997. I did the motocross thing for three years from 2001-2004. After a debilitating wreck in '04 I gave it up for three years. Then the itch hit again!...so I bought a BMW.

 

So...now you have a bit of history on my riding experience...here goes;

 

Last weekend I rode to Kill Devil Hills, NC(it's on the northern outer banks of NC). The ride takes about 2.5 hours from my house. We left before dark and had a fabulous ride there. On Sunday we prepared to leave and noticed the wind. It was constant at about 20mph with gusts to 38mph.(some reports of 50mph around the sound). The route we had to take home had us driving over three bridges....two slightly high and one very low draw bridge with extremely low sides. At one point on the draw bridge, I felt like I almost needed to come to a stop in order to stay upright. The gust seemed about 35-40mph ish. I was already in a slight turn position to the right when the wind just belted us almost against the rail. This is a two lane bridge, so traffic is not only coming at me it is also passing me as I am only going about 45-50. The wind is switching directions constantly, so I feel like I can't predict anything at this point. I don't think in my years of road riding in the past I ever rode in winds like that. I felt very inexperienced and was just amazed at how difficult it seemed to ride safely. I was loaded down w/ a passenger, tank bag, & system cases all full. I'm wondering if there was just a major lack of any aerodynamics that caused me to feel so vulnerable, or if this is just the way it's going to be on my RT.

 

I managed to get to the house in 5.5 hours with two 10 minute stops for a break (smoke a cigarette to calm my nerves) and a 45 minute dinner break. So I almost doubled my time!

 

Is this crazy? Will I get used to it in the future and be able to travel near the speed limit (70)? Is there something I can do to become a better rider in strong winds....other than just riding in them when I need to?

 

I had coffee with some older (60ish) friends of mine that used to ride a lot and they’re telling me stories of riding in 60+mph winds on the highway and leaning into them like they were making a right hand turn at a 90 degree angle. Is this seine?

 

I've crossed the same bridges in the wind. I HATE the frekin wind. As others above have stated, bent elbows with a looser hold on the grips, knees into the tank, lower gear to keep more control on the revs, and if you have ESA keep it in Sport mode instead of comfortable. It's also nice if you have someone in front of you so you can see how far their bike is leaning to go straight. That makes it seem normal when you are leaning to go straight.

[Francis]

Mike, I had the same problem shortly after starting to ride my R1100RT. It will help to drop down to 4th gear and keep the bike at or above 4,000 rpm (the power band.) Lower your windshield a bit. Keep the bike under power and lean into the wind.

 

Use the vegetation on the side of the road as "markers" for the type of winds that area usually has. If the grass and trees are leaning to the right the wind is comming from the left. As the road changes direction the wind will also shift and you will have to make adjustments accordingly.

Trucks in the wind will also add their own turbulance or calm depending upon the direction of the wind and your travel direction (as in a following wind vs. a head on wind).

 

As pointed out above, it will take some practice to get used to this bike in the wind. Keep your RPM's up and keep the bike under power.

[BFish]

when i started out wind was an issue. i'm going to tell you that like anything, experience makes all the difference. couple years from now you won't think twice about a gusty day. as a matter of fact the moto doesn't seem to "move" that much anymore. hang in there.

[ItsABeemur]

Thanks for the words of encouragement and the tips. I'm sure I did grip the he** out of the handlebars, I was fearful for someone elses life(my passenger!). I did keep it in 4th at about 4,000rpm. I did watch the nearby vegitation as well...which helped tremendously! I don't know if I'll ever love riding in strong wind, but who knows...experience and time will indeed tell.

 

Thanks Again!

[Mister Tee]

For some odd and perverse reason I actually LIKE riding in the wind. Not directly against the wind, but a little side buffeting makes things interesting. As mentioned, you get used to it, and it's really no big deal. Of course there is a limit to everything, and 50 mph side gusts start to encroach on that. I actually find the RT reasonably stable in wind, compared to some other bikes I've ridden.

 

One thing though - speed is your friend. Just like in cornering, the faster your wheels are spinning, the more the centrifugal forces will stabilize you from side to side gusts. That isn't to say you should go faster than is safe for the road you're on, but going slower than normal is a mistake.

[T__]

For some odd and perverse reason I actually LIKE riding in the wind. Not directly against the wind, but a little side buffeting makes things interesting. As mentioned, you get used to it, and it's really no big deal. Of course there is a limit to everything, and 50 mph side gusts start to encroach on that. I actually find the RT reasonably stable in wind, compared to some other bikes I've ridden.

 

One thing though - speed is your friend. Just like in cornering, the faster your wheels are spinning, the more the centrifugal forces will stabilize you from side to side gusts. That isn't to say you should go faster than is safe for the road you're on, but going slower than normal is a mistake.

 

Mister_Tee,, it’s not centrifugal force that stabilizes you it’s gyroscopic effect..

 

Twisty

[Mister Tee]

Yeah, centrifugal, gyroscopic, one of those two.

[ArmyGuy]

Ron Richardson: Are you going to use a 220 connection on that?

Jack Butler: 220, 221, whatever it takes.

[ElevenFifty]

Right after getting my RT two years ago, I rode, 2 up, across an old two lane bridge on Rt 41 over the Tennessee river west of Chattanooga. I was totally surprised by the gusts and scared hitless!! NEVER wanted to do that again!!

 

33,000 miles and lots of windy riding later ... on Jan 3 this year, I left New Orleans in 25 mph wind from the nortwest - gusting to 38. I was headed northeast and took Rt 10 across the lake. As I approached the first high span of the road, had to remind myself to just relax. I found myself enjoying the view.

 

The advice to trust the bike and relax came from this group of BMWST riders. Find a good windy day and go out solo - you'll find yourself relaxing into the situation. Wind blasts from big trucks are handled the same way ... light hands and let the bike find it's way. Relaxation is the key.

[KrazyHorse]

What everybody else said! Eespecially about keeping a light feel, etc.

I do have to add, that I think it is funny how you learn to read the landscape over time. Seeing that stand of trees up ahead tells me that even though I'm crabbed over right now due to crosswind, that wind is going to disappear in 3...2...1...and to be prepared for it.

 

Like others have mentioned the wind freaked me out when I first started riding....now, no biggee. And I'm just on a lowly fairing-less C.

[MNCruiser]

Nothing lowly about the C!

[KrazyHorse]

LOL I was wondering if you would catch that comment.

 

As far as people whose C is their primary bike, I think it's just you and me on this forum babe!

[MNCruiser]

As far as people whose C is their primary bike, I think it's just you and me on this forum babe!

Skyking is here too...shopping I think.

[bugeyed]

CLC rider here

[Wyn]

Was out yesterday man, I'll bet the gusts were up to 40mph and steady at 20/25.

 

Nubb took it very well. However I was holding on way to hard. Shoulders up and tensed. Payed for it last night with a pounding headache. Need to relax and let go a bit.

[KrazyHorse]

Well, look at that! We're coming out of the woodwork!

 

R1200C not just for cruising anymore.

 

Sorry about the hi-jack. Back to your regularly scheduled program.

[ItsABeemur]

Don't wory about the "hi-jack" I got interested by your "C" comments, so I went looking for a C model on the web. It's amazing how hard they seem to come by. Nice bike guys!

[MNCruiser]

Mike

 

Everything you ever wanted to know about the "C" can be found on www.chromeheads.org.

[AdventurePoser]

What everybody else said! Eespecially about keeping a light feel, etc.

I do have to add, that I think it is funny how you learn to read the landscape over time. Seeing that stand of trees up ahead tells me that even though I'm crabbed over right now due to crosswind, that wind is going to disappear in 3...2...1...and to be prepared for it.

 

Like others have mentioned the wind freaked me out when I first started riding....now, no biggee. And I'm just on a lowly fairing-less C.

 

Here in So Cal we have what are called "Santa Ana" winds-very intense breezes that come out of the north and blast thru the mountain passes during the winter.

 

It's been particulary windy this winter, so I've had lots of opportunity to practice! I second keeping a light touch and relaxing. Still, even with the best technique, it can be too windy to ride....

 

The last thing you want is to be struck by a flying tree branch or roof shingle.

 

Be careful and have fun!

 

Steve in So Cal

[Hoover]

Jack Butler: 220, 221, whatever it takes.

[Dick_at_Lake_Tahoe_NV]

In flying light aircraft in heavy turbulence we were always taught "don't fight the aircraft and don't chase the instruments", while and after the gust has upset the aircraft just put it back--straight and level--as it was. Stay light on the controls--don't fight it." It seems like that's the conclusion for riding in gusty conditions". As an aside, I've often wondered if the little vertical license plate on the front fender of antique bikes would help in gusty conditions--the gust hits the license plate, turns the front wheel slightly (counter steering it) and turns you into the wind-gust. Just a thought??

[litigator]

Riding in the Rockies last year I learned a new technique for gusty cross winds. I was getting blasted alternatively from the right and left sides at unexpected intervals all day. I found that keeping a light grip on the bars, and leaning the bike, but not my body, into the gusts, let me keep an even keel. After a while, it basically cancelled out the side-to-side movement in the lane, and made the rest of the day a breeze (Pun intended.) Try it.

[ShovelStrokeEd]

Yup, light on the controls and, if your legs are up for it, light on the seat as well. Just let the bike do what it will under you. For winds coming from more or less the same direction, even if they vary somewhat in intensity, I just climb up onto the leeward side of the seat and tilt the bike into the wind. Looks strange to someone following but works a treat in keeping the bike from feeling like it is going to blow out from under you. It won't, btw, that feeling comes when you tighten up on the bars and let the wind's influence on your upper body feed down into the controls.

 

100 mph or so seems to mitigate it as well. I'll let the newly wed couple from the fall Torrey comment further on this.

[cruisin]

With the 1150RT you would have been more stable at 70 than at 50. Two reasons for this are the gyroscopic effect of the wheels; gyroscopes are more stable at higher speeds and so are your wheels. Next the aerodynamics of the fairing on the RT also provides more stability at higher speeds. I have actually experimented with these concepts a bit as I live in the Texas Panhandle where we get extremely variable and gusty winds year round that reach speeds of 65mph. My 1100RT is far more manageable at 85 than it is at 50. Another technique already mentioned here is learn to relax in the wind. Tightening up on everything and attempting to hold a dead straight track will just make matters worse and tire you out. Let the wind have its way but not to the point of taking you off the road. I regularly drift around from two to three feet in either direction when riding gusty cross winds. Just make your adjustments smooth and suttle; there's no need to jerk the bike back on track when moved a little by a gust. I think if you get very light on the grips you will find (just as I have) that the wind seems to have a greater effect on the wheels than it does on the fairing moving through the air at 70+mph. In a sense, that gives the bike somewhat of a self correcting nature when the wind gusts because it moves the tires away while the upper portion with fairing is wanting to maintain a straigther track. Next time the winds are high with variable gusts, find yourself a road with little to no traffic and get and play in it at the higher speeds with light grip and stay relaxed. I bet you will see the wind really isn't that big of hazard; it is rather annoying though.

[cruisin]

LOL I was wondering . . .

 

. . . As far as people whose C is their primary bike, I think it's just you and me on this forum . . .

 

add one more. My C is my primary bike as I generally put about 50% more miles on it each year than I do the RT. However, last year I put more than double the miles on the C compared to the RT.

[Tilly]

I agree with a lot of the posts - just relax and enjoy, hold the tank with your knees and hold the bars loosely. I've crossed bridges that were shut because of the wind, leaning at 45 degrees to counteract - it's fine until you pass the upright causing the wind break!

[BigAL]

On Sunday we prepared to leave and noticed the wind. It was constant at about 20mph with gusts to 38mph.(some reports of 50mph around the sound). I'm wondering if there was just a major lack of any aerodynamics that caused me to feel so vulnerable, or if this is just the way it's going to be on my RT.

 

Sounds like you should have stayed another day and rented a sailboard!

[PhillyFlash]

Before going to Bid Bend they were calling for winds anywhere from 40-60 mph, with gusts anywhere from 60-100 mph. It gave us some concern, but all of us (Russell Bynum, Chris Olson, and myself) had ridden through high winds before, and we weren't too concerned (ok, we were concerned about the 80-100 mph winds). As has already been stated, RTs do very well in the wind. It's a matter of getting used to how the bike responds in different types of wind coming from different directions.

 

I rode across southeastern Colorado and western Kansas during a pretty bad storm that had steady winds from the north (I was headed east) of at least 50 mph with gusts of 70 or more. The bike felt like it was at a 45 degree angle, and it moved back and forth in my lane during heavy gusts as if it were dancing. You really can get into the rhythm, and while it may be more physically and mentally draining, it's usually not a problem. It does take a lot of getting used to, trusting the bike to do its thing, and keeping your speed high enough to stay stable (bikes get very squirrly in high winds when you're going slow). Most importantly, though, when you feel that the wind has gotten too high for you to be able to ride safely, get off the road. At one point, a gust moved my bike completely across my lane in an instant. I was on a road with two lanes going in my direction, there were very few other vehicles on the road, I was able to position myself in the lane with lots of room to my right to be able to recover, and I was not worring about oncoming traffic being blown into my lane. If I was on a road with less favorable conditions, I might not have ridden as long as I did.

 

Establish you're own safety margin and stick with it. It doesn't matter how well someone else can ride through wind.